Numerology
Numerology is any belief in the divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events, as well as a belief in symbolic meaning within numbers. It is also the study of the numerical value of the letters in words, names, and ideas. It is often associated with astrology and similar divinatory arts.
Numerology in Tarot
The number 1
The number 1 is the beginning of everything. It is the creation and manifestation of an idea, feeling, action, reaction, or physical journey. When it is in its upright balanced form, it is independence, self-sufficiency and self-determination and the beginning of something positive. When it is upside down and unbalanced, it becomes the beginning and manifestation of something that isn’t beneficial at this time. When presented upside down, the way to balance the number and regain its benefits is to work on your self sufficiency, independence, and determination and to contemplate your ideas, choices, and actions to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and why you are starting down a path that isn’t meant for you.
The number 2
The number 2 is a decision. It is your ideas coming together to create a fork in the road and the representation of the decision you must make. It is the symbol of polarity, the either/or situations in life and the determining point in your journey. This choice can manifest itself in your physical life, thoughts, actions, or emotions. It shows itself in your spread upright and balanced when you are using grounded reasoning, logical thought, critically evaluating the decision, stabilizing your emotions or using empathy and love to make a choice and the choice is going to have a positive outcome for you. If it is coming up upside down and imbalanced in your spread, then you are on a journey towards making the wrong decision. You should contemplate and seek inner guidance or guidance from others.
The number 3
The number 3 is the power of 1 and 2 coming together. Your ideas have been set in stone and you have made the decisions you need to make. You have started down your path and accomplished your goal. Whether your success and accomplishment was emotional, physical, analytical, or based on taking action it has come to fruition and placed you on a specific path in life. This achievement was done on your own and it is the celebration of individual success and accomplishment. When this number is upright in your spread and balanced it is there to show you that this was a necessary achievement. It will have a positive outcome and become a stepping stone on your journey to happiness and success. If this number presents itself upside down and imbalanced then it is a representation of emptiness within your success. Most commonly it is there to help you understand that you couldn’t reach the destination you set out to. You were unable to accomplish the tasks and ideas that you set out to and maybe it wasn’t the right time or place to start. But sometimes this number shows itself upside down when you did accomplish your goals and you are left with a feeling of emptiness instead of glory and accomplishment. It may be that this was just not the right path for you and you have to go back to the drawing board to come up with a new idea.
The number 4
The number 4 is stable, strong and disciplined. It is sturdy and structured and durable. You have gotten used to your routine and become grounded in its structure. You have been complacent and stagnant lately with no progression or digression in your life. This is a time of grounding, rest and stability. This is a necessary time period that we all must go through in life and for some it is a place of relief. Your thoughts, emotions, actions, or physical world have fallen into place and you are content with the monotony of life. When this number is right side up and balanced, it shows your complacency. You are content with this lifestyle and it is a welcomed moment of routine. You are not ready to go back to the unpredictability of life and this is a good place for you right now. It can be a time of peace and reflection. Remember not to stay here too long. Though stability can feel genuinely fulfilling and needed you cannot stand still forever. Still water grows stagnant. If you have been in this place for too long then this number will present itself upside down. Showing your need to break out of this shell and start flowing again. Though movement might be scary, with potential ups and downs it is necessary for growth. When you cannot handle the motionless void in your life and stability turns to boredom it is time to move on and seek excitement and risk. Get out of your comfort zone and seek growth and opportunity.
The number 5
The number 5 is the essence of chaos. The numerical value of disorder and overwhelming disorganization. Within a person’s mind, body, actions, physical world, or emotions lives a sense of overwhelming chaos. It can present itself as anxiety, insomnia, overworking yourself, inability to relax, spreading yourself too thin, or in other various ways. This is an inevitable time in someone’s life and in some cases it leads to extraordinary things. This might be the time in your life where you are putting in the work to accomplish a goal and better yourself. This might also be a time where you are working to improve your mental and physical health. Many paths in life require chaos. If this number is right side up and balanced it represents a necessary chaos that you can handle. A chaos that will most likely end in a positive way and lead to healing, discovery, and accomplishment. If this number is upside down, it is chaos that you cannot handle. It will lead to unhealthy outcomes. You should slowly focus on eliminating a lot of the stress in your life. Prioritize things if possible and try to help yourself ease the chaos that has consumed many aspects of your life.
The number 6
The number 6 is the number that represents things coming together. It is also usually the card for teamwork, and implies an achievement that isn't meant to be completed alone. Not to be confused with 3, 6 generally implies that you, along with the help of others, worked hard to achieve a common goal—either through emotions, actions, ideas, or finances, etc.—and when it is upright, you will achieve the goal you set out to do. You and the others around you will rejoice in the fruits of your labor. When it's reversed, however, you will likely not reach this goal, which can happen even if you put in all the work, but luck took over, and it’s no one's fault, or it could be because you or others didn't work hard enough toward the goal. Six is about teamwork, community, bringing people together, working towards something, to achieve a goal, especially when alone they’d be unable. With the thoughts hearts and minds of many, you can conquer anything. We are all pieces of a larger puzzle.
The number 7
The number 7 represents the path that you are taking in life. 7 comes up when we need to hear if a certain path we are taking the the right one. Whether it's an emotional journey, an earthly venture, a list of activities, or a mental pathway, this card tells us if the path is going to have a positive or negative impact on our lives. Upright, the card states that you are on the right path and should continue down the road you're traveling. Reversed, it is telling you you're heading down the wrong path and may need to re-evaluate yourself to get back on track. 7 is about reassessing your situation and commitment in decision-making, if necessary. Although there may be many options, it speaks to the confidence of deciding what's best after investigating the options and standing by that decision, and seeing that decision play out.
The number 8
The number 8 is about a strong connection to a person, place, thing, or idea that is heavily rooted in your emotions, actions, thoughts, or earthly possessions. When upright, this connection enhances your journey and brings great positivity into that aspect of your life. This connection can help you down your path to enlightenment, or help you reach the end of your journey. When reversed, however, the connection is more negative and can lead to obsession, guilt, or general harm. It can also mean that you struggle to form the necessary connections in your life. 8 also can mean travel, upright, the trip generally will or is going well, reversed, the trip generally won't or is not going well.
The number 9
The number 9 represents a means to an end. You are almost at the end of your journey. The end is in sight. Whether it be graduation, a promotion, the end of the grieving cycle, or you are almost done with an idea, you have thought it out and are about ready to start acting on it. However, you are not quite at the end yet. There are still some things to do and experience. If the nine is upright, it means you are ready for the end and everything is lined up for your success. If the nine is reversed, it could mean that you see the end but are not ready for it, or that the end will not be what you expect. Remember, 9 is about accomplishment, where you aren't quite finished with doing what you're doing. You are very close to your goal but the end is just out of reach at this stage. There's encouragement when you feel like the universe is against you. Don’t overthink the goal right before the finish line, and remember to catch your breath before doing that final push.
The number 10
The number 10 means you are finally reaching the end of your emotional, physical, or mental, journey and ready to begin again. Upright, you have reached the end and are enjoying the fruits of your labor. You completed the goal you had laid out, and overall your journey had a very positive ending. Keep in mind that you will hold onto and carry the final results even after the journey has ended. When reversed, the journey still ended, but you are either unhappy with the outcome or it ended in an unexpected way. The ending had a more negative outcome for you so you might not be ready to move on to something new yet, even though it is time. Remember that 10 is the closure of the current part of your life, making way for the beginning of the next. \"The End\" can leave you feeling exhausted, blissful, accomplished, or resolute. The cycle will start again, to maintain what you've gained you must take what you've experienced this time around and use it to your advantage in the next cycle.